Press Release

IQ Certification Program Launched

FOR RELEASE September, 1997

Contact: Jennifer Burnstein, IQ Program Coordinator

The Installation Quality (IQ) Certification Program was officially launched at the ISC East Trade Show in New York City to widespread industry support.

IQ is a newly formed program created to certify alarm companies that have proven that they are addressing quality and false alarm reduction issues. The IQ program taps a wealth of industry and public safety knowledge to create guidelines which are proven to deliver quality, false alarm resistant systems. The goal is to provide a tangible benefit for those companies that do business in the alarm industry the right way.

In order to obtain IQ Certification, an alarm company must comply with the IQ Policies and Guidelines and then apply for IQ Certification. The IQ Guidelines include general company guidelines, user training guidelines, employee training guidelines, system design guidelines, equipment guidelines, installation guidelines and monitoring guidelines. In order to apply for IQ Certification, a company must meet these Guidelines, and then complete the IQ Application for Certification, which is available from the IQ Certification Board.

The specific IQ Guideline requirements are based on the lessons learned through the industry’s cooperative efforts with the International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP) in the Model Cities and Model States programs. These steps include attempting to verify each and every alarm signal before requesting public safety dispatch; using only highly trained technicians to install well-designed, quality systems; and real efforts to educate the end user about the responsible and proper use of an alarm system.

The initial IQ Certification fee is $500 for NBFAA members and $1,000 for non-members. However, as a special introductory offer, the IQ Certification Board has cut the initial certification fee in half to $250 for NBFAA members only. Annual recertification will cost $250 for NBFAA members and $500 for non-members. According to IQ Certification Board Chairman David Mandel, "The Board set a discounted price for NBFAA members because we know that just by participating in NBFAA and a chartered state association, a company is already taking steps to address quality and false alarm issues. So we want to encourage and recognize that participation."

When compared with other entities that provide an industry-related listing or certification, the IQ Program stands out for one main reason: IQ is focused on the experience of the end-user and those responding to alarm activations, while other programs tend to focus on the insurance industry’s concerns.

According to Mandel, "Let’s face it, UL and FM requirements are written by and for insurance companies. Therefore, those programs do not necessarily have quality or false alarm reduction as a top priority. The difference between IQ and those other programs is that IQ cares about the burden that we as an industry place on the law enforcement community."

"The IQ program guidelines were written with the input of the law enforcement, fire prevention and state regulatory communities and reflect a true commitment to reducing the burden that false alarms place on public safety. IQ Certified companies can prove to customers, prospects and police that they are proactive on quality and false alarm reduction issues." Mandel concluded.

A number of companies have already applied for IQ Certification and, according to Mandel, the first round of IQ Certifications will be approved by the IQ Board before October 1.

For more information about the IQ Certification Program, or to obtain an IQ Certification Application, contact the IQ Certification Board at 8300 Colesville Rd, Suite 750, Silver Spring, MD 20910, fax: (301) 585-1866, e-mail info@iqcertification.org.